Establishing a citizen-science groundwater monitoring network for Brackenfell, Western Cape

The report describes the creation of a groundwater monitoring network in Brackenfell, Western Cape, commissioned by WWF South Africa and implemented by GEOSS South Africa. Following a significant increase in borehole drilling during the 2015-2019 drought, the project conducted desktop assessments and a hydrocensus of 111 properties to identify groundwater use patterns. The study found that most boreholes were drilled between 2016 and 2020, targeting the Tygerberg Formation. Four Solinst Leveloggers were deployed in private and public boreholes to track water levels, with data integrated into the Table Mountain Water Source Area Groundwater Dashboard. Key stakeholder concerns identified include high iron content in the water and risks of over-abstraction.

• The 2015-2019 drought led to a significant increase in the number of boreholes and wellpoints in the Western Cape and City of Cape Town, resulting in an unquantified rise in groundwater abstraction volumes.
• A hydrocensus of 111 properties in Brackenfell revealed that 33.3% of visited properties were available for surveys, identifying 14 boreholes and 23 wellpoints. Most of these were drilled between 2016 and 2020, indicating they were a response to the drought.
• Boreholes in the Brackenfell area typically range from 30 to 115 metres in depth, primarily targeting the quartzitic sandstones of the Tygerberg Formation.
• Stakeholders expressed significant concerns regarding groundwater quality, specifically the presence of high iron content which caused red staining on walls, as well as fears regarding over-abstraction and resource depletion.
• A monitoring network consisting of four Solinst Leveloggers was established in boreholes at private residences, schools, and industry. Initial data from March 2022 showed rest water levels between 9 and 28 mbgl and electrical conductivity (EC) values between 94.3 and 161 mS/m, which are classified as "good".
• Monitoring data is manually downloaded and uploaded to the Table Mountain Water Source Area Groundwater Dashboard (groundwaterinfo.africa) to provide visibility to stakeholders on seasonal fluctuations and the impact of regional abstraction.

APA

Tomlinson, A., Holloway, M., & Barrow, D. (2022). Establishing a citizen-science groundwater monitoring network for Brackenfell, Western Cape. WWF South Africa. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/3_annexure_3_appendix_a_brackenfell.pdf

Chicago

Tomlinson, Ashleigh, Michael Holloway, and Dale Barrow. Establishing a citizen-science groundwater monitoring network for Brackenfell, Western Cape. WWF South Africa, 2022. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/3_annexure_3_appendix_a_brackenfell.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tomlinson |first1=Ashleigh |last2=Holloway |first2=Michael |last3=Barrow |first3=Dale |title=Establishing a citizen-science groundwater monitoring network for Brackenfell, Western Cape |publisher=WWF South Africa |date=14 April 2022 |url=https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/3_annexure_3_appendix_a_brackenfell.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tomlinson2022establishing, author = {Tomlinson, Ashleigh and Holloway, Michael and Barrow, Dale}, title = {{Establishing a citizen-science groundwater monitoring network for Brackenfell, Western Cape}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, year = {2022}, month = apr, url = {https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/3_annexure_3_appendix_a_brackenfell.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }